.        ,    ■ 


tLtS   CAL/F 


PENCIL  SKETCHING 


ttos 


PENCIL-SKETCHING 


BY 


GEORGE  W.   KOCH 


ART  DEPARTMENT  -  THE  PRANG  COMPANY 


THE  PRANG    COMPANY 


NEW  YORK  -  CHICAGO  -  BOSTON  -  ATLANTA  -  DALLAS 


4-01^2, 


Copyright,  1913 

By  The  Prang  Company 

(All  Rights  Reserved) 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

INTRODUCTION        -------- 9 

PENCIL  SKETCHING     ------------  11 

MATERIALS    ---------------  11 

METHOD  OF  APPLYING  THE  PENCIL     -------  13 

QUALITY  OF  PENCIL  STROKES       ---------  13 

DIRECTION  OF  PENCIL  STROKES      --------  18 

CHARACTER  AND  MANNER  OF  GROUPING  OF  PENCIL  STROKES  34 

TREATMENT  OF  BUILDINGS         ---------  36 

RENDERING  OF  FOLIAGE     -----------  42 

TREATMENT  OF  FLOWERS  AND  LEAVES     ------  48 

SKETCHING  FROM  LIFE— ANIMAL       -       -       -         -----  52 

SKETCHING  FROM  LIFE— FIGURE      --.-----  54 

CONCLUSION        --------------  60 


i 


INTRODUCTION 


T"  HE  pencil  is  admittedly  the  universal 
medium  for  graphic  expression.  Even 
in  the  hands  of  the  unskilled  it  offers  a 
_J supplement  and  a  clarification  of  mere 
words.  A  few  lines  roughly  sketched  on  a  pine 
board  mean  more  to  a  workman  than  a  detailed 
description,  and  a  few  telling  lines  skillfully 
sketched  by  an  artist  convey  more  meaning  than 
pages  of  eloquent  English.  The  use  of  the  pencil 
is  indeed  universal.  Its  skillful  use  is  all  too 
rare.  Every  one  depends  in  varying  degrees 
upon  the  pencil  as  an  aid  to  expression  and  every 
one  desires  a  better  mastery  of  it.  Examples  of 
pencil  technique  have  already  been  published, 
but  these  examples  have  demanded  the  inter- 
preter or  teacher  at  the  student's  elbow.  The 
purpose  of  this  book  is  to  take  the  teacher's 
place  so  far  as  may  be  in  showing  simple  be- 
ginnings, progressive  steps  and  a  few  excellent 
examples  of  finished  pencil  technique.  It  is  de- 
signed for  use  in  schools  and  for  all  individuals 
who  are  beginners  in  this  interesting  phase  of 
art  expression. 


PENCIL  SKETCHING 

ENCIL  technique  has  a  charm  of  expression  peculiar  unto 
itself.  By  its  strong  power  oPsuggestion  it  conveys  definite 
impressions  of  color,  texture,  surface,  atmosphere.  With  the 
pencil  we  may  express  a  certain  crispness  and  sparkle  which 
seldom  fail  to  attract.  In  using  the  pencil  the  constant  search  is 
for  essentials  and  characteristics  and  for  the  elimination  of  details. 

For  these  reasons  the  study  and  practice  of  pencil  technique  is 
particularly  valuable;  to  sketch  successfully  with  the  pencil  one  must 
know  definitely  what  one  wishes  to  say  and  must  be  able  to  say  it  di- 
rectly and  with  force. 

An  artist  is  impelled  to  make  a  sketch  because  of  his  desire  to 
have  a  record  of  a  certain  object  or  scene.  These  sketches  or  records 
of  impressions  are  the  raw  materials  from  which  eventually  he  will  create 
his  pictorial  or  decorative  compositions.  A  sketch,  therefore,  is  a  means 
to  an  end,  and  not  the  end.  His  chief  aim  in  sketching,  whether  from 
landscape,  figure,  flower  or  animal,  is  to  put  down  as  simply  and  directly 
as  possible  such  lines,  shapes  and  tones  as  will  best  express  the  character 
of  the  subject.  He  is  not  then  concerned  about  composition — the 
arrangement  of  lines,  masses,  etc.  —  that  comes  later.  Nor  is  he  con- 
cerned, especially,  with  careful  drawing.  Rather  will  he  try  for  a 
spirited  and  suggestive  rendering  of  the  chief  characteristics  of  the 
subject.  To  accomplish  this,  he  will  search  out  the  main  lines,  draw 
together  into  telling  masses  that  which  is  scattered  and  meaningless,  and 
suppress  all  unnecessary  and  confusing  detail. 

MATERIALS 

Of  the  various  mediums  available  for  sketching  in  black  and 
white,  the  lead  pencil  undoubtedly  is  the  favorite.  Its  advantages  over 
other  mediums  are  too  well  known  to  need  mention  here.  There  are 
many  good  makes  of  pencils  on  the  market  from  which  to  select,  but  it  is 
essential  that  the  lead  of  a  sketching  pencil  be  smooth,  firm  and  entirely 
free  from   grit.     Scratchy  pencils,  as  well  as  pencils  that  are  too  soft  and 


11 


smudgy,  should  be  avoided.  It  is  well  to  have  an  assortment  of  at  least 
three  pencils  of  varying  degrees  of  hardness — hard,   medium  and  soft. 

Almost  any  kind  of  paper  will  answer,  providing  it  is  not  too  thin 
and  that  the  surface  is  fairly  smooth;  a  rough  paper  will  give  the  pencil 
work  upon  it  a  disagreeable,  woolly  appearance,  which,  as  will  be  shown 
later,  is  no  part  of  good  pencil  technique.  The  illustrations  for  this 
article  were  made  on  a  French-Japan  Vellum,  which  is  an  ivory-tinted 
paper  with  a  surface  admirably  suited  for  pencil  work.  It  is  advisable 
to  work  over  a  number  of  sheets  of  paper  in  order  to  give  a  certain 
elasticity  to  the  touch,  which  will  be  found  advantageous  in  obtaining 
strokes  of  good  quality. 

To  complete  the  outfit,  a  good  eraser  is  necessary.  "  Faber's 
Kneaded  Eraser"  is  recommended  for  the  reason  that  it  may  be  molded 
or  kneaded  into  any  desired  shape. 

A  word  may  be  said  about  sharpening  the  pencil.  Except  for 
indicating  detail,  such  as  small  branches  showing  through  a  mass  of 
foliage,  the  rigging  on  a  sailboat,  etc.,  it  is  best  to  use  a  blunt-pointed 
pencil,  sharpened  in  the   manner  indicated  in  Fig.   1. 


IN   POSITION   FOR 
BROAD  STROKES 


IN  POSITION  FOR 
SHARP,  DECISIVE  TOUCHES 


FIG.   1 

The  pencil  may  be  sharpened  to  a  point,  in  the  usual  way,  and 
then  rubbed  down  on  a  piece  of  practice  paper,  until  the  strokes  have 
the  desired  width.  For  sharp,  decisive  touches,  the  pencil  needs  only 
to  be  turned  until  the  edge  or  point  rests  against  the  paper. 


«MM  ■-— ■ -~.-,  --_■.-  .«.*•- 


12 


METHOD  OF  APPLYING  THE  PENCIL 

Most  mediums  admit  of  being  handled  in  several  ways,  and  the 
pencil  is  no  exception.  It  may  be  applied  to  the  paper  as  one  would 
apply  charcoal ;  that  is,  scumbled  on  and  rubbed  together  by  means  of 
a  stomp  or  a  piece  of  chamois.  Sketches  made  in  this  manner  have 
beautiful  tonal  qualities,  but  the  method  is  slow  and  laborious,  and  is 
for  that  reason  of  little  use  in  connection  with  nature  sketching,  where 
quick  work  is  desired. 

Another  method,  and  that  which  will  be  considered  here,  may 
be  termed  the  "direct"  method,  the  aim  being  to  attain  by  the  intelligent 
use  of  pencil  strokes,  or  markings,  the  desired  result  at  once.  The 
chief  charm  of  this  kind  of  pencil  work  is  its  crisp  suggestiveness. 
This  quality  can  only  be  attained  by  working  with  directness,  and  avoid- 
ing, as  far  as  possible,   "going  over"  the  same  place  twice. 

To  accomplish  this  directness  of  result,  it  is  essential,  of  course, 
that  one  should  gain  complete  control  over  the  pencil.  One  must  be 
able  to  lay  strokes  vertically,  horizontally  or  obliquely  with  equal  facility. 
The  hand  must  learn  to  adjust  instantaneously  the  pressure  on  the  pencil, 
so  that  the  result  may  be  any  desired  gradation  from  light  to  dark,  or 
from  dark  to  light,  or  a  tone  of  the  same  value  throughout.  All  this  is 
a  matter  of  practice. 

Those  with  but  little  experience  in  the  use  of  the  medium  are 
advised  to  practice  laying  pencil  strokes,  following  the  suggestions  given 
on  Plate  I.  In  doing  this  the  aim  should  be  to  work  with  directness ; 
the  strokes  should  be  made  in  a  light  and  flowing  manner,  not  laid 
mechanically  side  by  side.  The  paper  should  remain  in  one  position, 
the  hand  changing  its  position  according  to  the  direction  in  which 
the  strokes  are  to  be  laid.  In  laying  the  strokes  the  pencil  may  be 
carried  back  and  forth  without  being  lifted  from  the  paper  (marking 
both  ways),  or  it  may  be  lifted  at  the  end  of  each  stroke  and  carried 
back  without  making  a  mark.      Both  ways  should  be  practiced. 

QUALITY  OF  PENCIL  STROKES 

It  need  hardly  be  said  that  light  tones  are  rendered  with  a  hard 
pencil,  and  dark  tones  with  a  soft  pencil.  It  is  possible,  of  course,  to 
produce  light  tones  with  a  very  soft  pencil,  but  the  tones  so  made  lack 


13 


quality;  they  have  a  dry,  woolly  appearance,  whereas  good  pencil 
technique  has  a  flowing,  liquid  quality,  not  unlike  oil  technique.  Such 
a  technique  is  indeed  often  referred  to  as  " Pencil  Painting."  The 
woolliness  results  from  a  lack  of  evenness  of  tone,  due  to  the  fact  that  the 
surface  of  the  paper  has  tiny  elevations  and  depressions,  and  a  soft  pencil 
carried  lightly  over  the  paper  covers  the  elevations  but  not  the  depres- 
sions; this  gives  an  effect  of  black  and  white  spots.  It  is  evident  that  in 
order  to  overcome  the  difficulty,  the  pencil  must  be  used  with  sufficient 
pressure  to  completely  cover  the  paper,  or,  in  other  words,  the  surface 
of  the  paper  must  be  "ironed  out,"  as  it  were.  If  in  doing  this  the 
resulting  tone  is  darker  than  desired,  a  harder  pencil  should  be 
substituted.  A  medium  soft  pencil  will  make  a  mark  sufficiently  dark 
for  most  purposes.  Plates  II  and  III  are  shown  as  examples  of  good 
and  bad  quality  in  pencil  technique. 

Before  proceeding  the  student  is  advised  to  devote  some  time  to 
the  practice  of  laying  strokes,  paying  special  attention  to  their  quality. 
In  this  practice  both  hard  and  soft  pencils  should  be  used  and  various 
papers  may  be  tried  until  a  surface  has  been  found  that  is  best  suited  to 
the  purpose. 


14 


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17 


CHARACTERISTICS  OF  PENCIL  TECHNIQUE 

There  are  three  things  essential  to  successful  sketching  with  the 
pencil,  namely,  Direction  of  strokes,  Character  of  strokes  and  the  Manner 
of  Grouping  the  strokes.  By  the  first  means  is  expressed  form  or  direction 
of  planes;  by  the  second  and  third  means  various  surface  qualities  and 
textures  are  expressed. 

DIRECTION  OF  PENCIL  STROKES 

We  have  been  taught  the  principles  of  perspective,  and  we  are 
familiar  with  the  fact  that  objects  do  not  appear  as  they  really  are.  We 
know,  for  instance,  that  in  angular  perspective,  vertical  edges  appear 
vertical,  while  the  horizontal  edges  appear  to  converge,  slanting  up  or 
down  as  the  case  may  be.  We  also  know  that  the  top  and  bottom  edges 
of  a  Japanese  lantern  appear  elliptical  when  foreshortened,  and  that 
the  nearer  edges  of  the  ellipses  curve  upward  or  downward,  accordingly 
as  they  are  seen  above  or  below  the  eye  level. 

All  this  has  a  direct  bearing  on  the  subject  in  hand,  as  will  be 
seen  by  referring  to  the  diagrams  shown  in  Plate  IV.  The  light  lines 
indicate  the  direction  of  the  pencil  strokes.  In  representing  a  vertical 
rectangular  plane,  the  strokes  may  be  laid  vertically,  as  in  A,  or  hori- 
zontally, as  in  B.  Figures  1,  2  and  3  show  the  same  face  foreshortened; 
the  vertical  edges  still  appear  vertical,  but  the  receding  edges  converge. 
If  in  representing  these  foreshortened  faces,  the  strokes  are  laid  parallel 
with  the  vertical  edges,  their  direction  remains  unchanged  (A  1,  2,  3). 
If  the  strokes  are  laid  parallel  with  the  horizontal  edges,  their  direction 
must  change,  according  to  their  location  above  or  below  the  eye  level; 
that  is,  they  must  converge  as  do  the  edges  of  the  face  (B  1,  2,  3). 

In  representing  a  horizontal  rectangular  plane  face,  the  strokes 
may  be  laid  in  the  direction  of  one  or  the  other  set  of  its  parallel  edges. 
Here  again  the  principles  of  perspective  must  be  observed.  The  direc- 
tion of  the  strokes  is  determined  by  the  apparent  direction  of  the 
chosen  set  of  edges.  If  these  edges  are  parallel,  as  in  C,  the  strokes 
should  be  drawn  parallel;  if  they  are  convergent,  as  in  D,  E  and  F,  then 
the  strokes  must  also  converge.  What  is  true  of  vertical  and  horizontal 
faces  is  also  true  of  oblique  faces. 


18 


PLATE  IV 


R.e ore: sent i nq    a.    vertical 
plane  -face     with     strokes 
laid    in    tne    a  i  recti  on   cj- 
■Lnc   vertical     edoes 


Representinq     a       horizontal 

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one     rcxce     with     strokes 
aid     in     the     direction    of- 

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laid     in     the    direction    or 
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plane     Face     wi  +  h    .shr-oke_s? 

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a    eaa 


JZ^iaaronnS    -    Lin<23    indicate  direction  of  penc  i|  .Strokes 


19 


It  will  thus  be  seen  that  a  fair  knowledge  of  the  fundamental 
principles  of  perspective  is  essential  to  success  in  pencil  sketching. 

In  Plate  V  are  shown  two  sketches  of  the  same  box.  In  A  the 
strokes  are  laid  in  the  direction  of  the  vertical  edges,  while  in  B  they 
were  laid  in  the  direction  of  the  horizontal  edges.  The  question  may  be 
asked:  "Which  of  the  two  is  the  more  truthful  rendering?"  To  this 
the  answer  would  be:  "It  all  depends."  Broadly  speaking,  the  direction 
of  the  strokes  is  determined  by  the  direction  of  the  planes,  or  the  contour 
of  the  form.  A  vertical  plane  would  naturally  suggest  vertical  strokes; 
a  horizontal  plane  would  suggest  horizontal  strokes  and  an  oblique  plane 
oblique  strokes.  There  are  other  things,  however,  such  as  surface 
appearance  and  surface  texture,  which  may  determine  the  direction  of 
the  strokes.     This  will  be  considered  later. 

Sketches  C,  D,  E  and  F,  Plate  V,  show  a  book  in  various  posi- 
tions. In  C  the  cover,  being  a  vertica]  plane  face,  was  rendered  with 
vertical  strokes;  in  D  the  cover  was  expressed  with  strokes  laid  horizon- 
tally and  running  parallel  (Fig.  C,  Plate  IV);  while  in  E  and  F  the 
strokes  converge  as  do  the  edges  of  the  book  (Figs.  D  and  E,  Plate  IV). 

As  an  exercise,  several  sketches  may  be  made  of  a  strawberry 
basket  in  various  positions,  similar  to  those  shown  in  Plate  VI. 


20 


PLATE  V 


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21 


PLATE  VI 


22 


TREATMENT  OF   ROUND   OBJECTS 

The  treatment  of  round  objects  is  shown  by  a  number  of  diagrams 
(Plate  VII),  the  direction  of  the  pencil  strokes  being  indicated  by  lines. 
The  strokes  may  be  laid  either  vertically  or  horizontally,  depending 
largely  on"  the  shape  of  the  object.  Objects  that  are  low  and  broad  may 
be  rendered  with  strokes  laid  in  a  horizontal  direction,  while  for  tall 
objects  vertical  strokes  may  be  used  to  better  advantage.  If  the  strokes 
are  laid  horizontally,  they  must  follow  the  contour  of  the  form ;  that  is, 
they  must  curve  with  the  form.  If  the  object  is  seen  below  the  eye  level, 
as  in  the  case  of  the  Japanese  lantern  (A),  for  example,  the  strokes  should 
curve  downward,  as  do  the  nearer  edges  of  the  ellipses;  if  seen  above  the 
eye  level,  as  in  B,  the}7  would  curve  upward.  Calling  to  mind  our 
perspective  principles  on  the  appearance  of  foreshortened  circles,  we 
understand  what  determines  the  curvature  of  these  strokes. 

Upright  cylindrical  forms,  such  as  the  mug  and  the  spill,  Plate 
VII,  may  be  treated  in  the  way  indicated,  using  vertical  strokes  and 
depending  entirely  on  the  light  and  shade  to  suggest  roundness. 

The  apple  is  an  example  of  another  method  of  treatment. 
Although  spherical  in  form,  like  the  lantern,  it  was  rendered  with  up 
and  down  strokes,  curving  outward  more  and  more  as  they  approach  the 
contour,  those  at  the  center  being  practically  straight.  Plates  VIII,  IX 
and  X  (lower  half)  should  be  studied  in  connection  with  Plate  VII. 

The  sketches  of  the  vase,  Plate  X  (lower  half),  and  the  chocolate 
pot  (Plate  XI)  are  examples  of  treatment  of  forms  that  are  not  straight  up 
and  down.  In  such  cases  up  and  down  strokes  may  be  used,  curving 
more  or  less  as  may  be  necessary  to  express  the  form.  The  accompany- 
ing diagrams  show  clearly  the  direction  and  curvature  of  the  pencil 
strokes. 


23 


PLATE  VII 


ROUND  CBJECTJ5     Diagrams  showing  Direct  ion  .of  Stroke? 


24 


PLATE  VIII 


TREATMENT    OF 
RCUMD       FORMS 


\ 


6?orne   Koc 


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25 


PLATE  IX 


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Treairment    of-    Rotund    Forms 


26 


PLATE  X 


Treatmenl:  o'r   forms  that-  are,   sbraiahfc-  u.p  and  down 


Ireatrnenb  op    j-orn^3  thai:  are   r\ot  strraicjhfc-  u.p  anci  dow 


n 


27 


PLATE  XI 


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PLATE  XII 


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29 


CHARACTER  OR  APPEARANCE  OF  SURFACE 

Up  to  this  point  the  treatment  of  form  alone  has  been  considered, 
and  nothing  has  been  said  about  the  rendering  of  surfaces.  The  character 
of  surfaces,  however,  often  plays  an  important  part  in  determining  the 
direction  of  the  pencil  strokes.  For  example,  it  becomes  necessary, 
sometimes,  to  change  the  direction  of  the  strokes  in  order  to  differentiate 
between  the  decoration  on  a  piece  of  still  life  and  its  background  or  body 
color.  Again,  structural  lines  appearing  on  the  surface  may  determine 
the  direction  of  the  strokes.  An  example  of  this  kind  is  shown  in  Plate 
XII.  A  board  fence  with  boards  nailed  up  and  down  may  be  expressed 
with  vertical  strokes,  while  another  with  boards  nailed  horizontally 
would  be  rendered  more  truthfully  with  horizontal  strokes.  If  the 
element  of  perspective  enters,  that  is,  if  the  same  fences  were  seen 
foreshortened,  vertical  strokes  would  still  be  used  in  the  first  case,  but  in 
the  second  case  the  strokes  would  have  to  be  laid  following  the  apparent 
direction  of  the  boards. 

A  similar  example  may  be  seen  in  the  sketch  of  the  building, 
Plate  XIII.  Here  the  ends  of  the  buildings  in  the  foreground  had  been 
covered  with  boards,  nailed  vertically  in  the  upper  portion  and  hori- 
zontally below.  These  surface  characteristics  were  suggested  by  cor- 
responding changes  in  the  direction  of  the  strokes. 

The  baskets  shown  in  Plate  XIV  are  also  examples  in  which 
structural  lines  determined  the  direction  of  the  strokes. 

In  Plate  XV  are  shown  three  examples  of  the  treatment  of 
decorated  pieces  of  still-life.  As  previously  stated,  it  may  be  necessary 
at  times  to  change  the  direction  of  the  strokes  in  order  to  differentiate 
between  decoration  and  background.  In  doing  so,  care  must  be 
exercised  not  to  over-emphasize  the  decoration;  it  should  not  "stick 
out,"  but  should  appear  to  be  a  part  of  the  surface. 

The  method  of  procedure  in  rendering  decorated  pieces  of  still- 
life  depends  somewhat  on  the  character  of  the  decoration.  Generally, 
the  background  is  "laid  in"  first,  and  the  decoration  added  afterward. 
Sometimes  this  order  maybe  reversed  to  advantage.  In  the  sketch  of  the 
bowl,  the  background  was  laid  in  first;  the  light  spots  representing  buds, 
blossoms  and  high-lights  were  left;  the  dark  branches  were  suggested 
next,  and  the  shape  was  given  the  buds  and  blossoms  by  outlining  the 


30 


PLATE  XIII 


' 


/ 


■ 


J 


31 


PLATE  XIV 


r  Ko<h 


-S-t-ru.ctu.rcil    lines    appearing    on    the     surf-ace      rma.y 
determine    Direct-ion    ah    Pencil   Strokes 


32 


PLATE  XV 


- 


florae    (Wi 


"R.enderincj     of-  Decorated    Surf-aces 


33 


light  spots.  The  spill  was  treated  similarly.  The  background  was  laid 
in  first,  the  paper  being  left  to  stand  for  the  high-lights;  then  the 
decoration  was  added.  In  the  case  of  the  pitcher  the  bands  were  drawn 
first  and  the  background  was  rilled  in  last. 

CHARACTER  AND  MANNER  OF  GROUPING 
OF  PENCIL  STROKES 

Having  considered  Direction  of  pencil  strokes  it  remains  to  speak 
of  the  Character  of  pencil  strokes  and  the  Manner  of  Grouping  the  strokes. 
While  it  was  possible  in  speaking  of  direction  of  strokes  to  give 
certain  definite  rules  which  must  be  observed  by  all,  what  is  to  be  said  in 
regard  to  the  second  and  third  characteristics  of  pencil  technique  must  be 
very  general  and  rather  in  the  nature  of  suggestion.  It  is  at  this  point 
that  the  individuality  of  the  student  begins  to  play  an  important  part  in 
directing  the  movements  of  the  pencil.  Style  or  individuality  of 
expression  is  a  thing  which  cannot  be  taught  or  made  subject  to  rules. 
It  is  rather  the  result  of  practice,  observation  and  experience.  It  is  this 
personal  quality,  this  individual  way  of  "seeing"  and  "doing"  that  exerts 
such  influence  in  determining  the  character  of  the  strokes.  The  manner 
in  which  the  strokes  are  grouped  also  helps  to  express  certain  qualities. 
The  student  must  now  begin  to  learn  from  observation;  must  practice 
and  experiment  and  solve  for  himself  the  problems  of  technique,  ever 
new  and  varied,  that  come  with  each  subject.  Following  this  course 
he  will  guard  against  imitation  or  mere  copying  and  his  expression  will 
be  original,  his  technique  his  own. 

A  few  suggestions  may  be  made  that  will  be  of  assistance: 

Broadly  speaking,  the  character  or  appearance  of  the  surface  of  the 
object  to  be  rendered,  determines  the  character  of  the  strokes  as  well  as 
the  manner  in  which  they  are  grouped.  The  strokes  may  be  long  or 
short,  dark  or  light,  wide  or  narrow,  etc. ,  and  again  they  may  be  laid  so 
closely  as  to  approximate  a  solid  tone;  or  the  paper  may  be  allowed 
to  show  through  and  separate  the  strokes,  according  to  the  quality  or 
texture  it  is  desired  to  express. 

The  roughness  of  the  tree  trunk,  the  smoothness  of  a  piece  of 
glazed  still-life  or  the  surface  of  still  water,  the  broken  effect  of  a  mass  of 
foliage,  etc.,  may  all  be  suggested  by  these  means.     No  absolute  law  can 


34 


be  given,  but  a  general  rule  may  be  observed:  Long  or  continuous 
strokes  laid  rather  closely  suggest  smoothness  of  surfaces,  while  short  or 
broken  strokes  laid  less  closely  suggest  the  opposite — roughness,  or 
unevenness  of  surface. 

The  sketches  on  the  following  pages  will  serve  to  show  the  use  of 
pencil  strokes,  various  in  character,  and  grouped  to  express  various  surface 
qualities  and  textures. 

Next  in  importance  to  actual  practice  with  the  pencil  comes  the 
study  of  good  examples.  The  student  is  advised,  therefore,  whenever 
opportunity  affords,  to  study  examples  of  good  pencil  work.  Much  may 
be  gained  in  this  way. 

Whether  sketching  from  figure,  animal,  flower,  landscape  or  still- 
life,  the  technical  problems  are  practically  the  same.  The  difficulties 
will  be  appreciably  lessened  if  pieces  of  still-life  are  chosen  as  subjects 
for  the  first  attempts  at  pencil  rendering.  Single  pieces  of  interesting 
form,  and  preferably  without  decoration,  should  be  selected.  The  object 
may  be  placed  in  a  shadow  box,  as  by  that  means  the  light  and  shade  will 
appear  very  much  simplified. 

In  beginning  a  pencil  sketch  the  usual  method  of  lightly  indi- 
cating the  main  lines  and  masses  should  be  followed,  taking  care  to  erase 
as  little  as  possible.  Much  erasing  will  injure  the  surface  of  the  paper 
and  consequently  the  quality  of  the  pencil  work.  The  "blocking  in" 
lines  may  be  frankly  left  in ;  their  presence  rather  adds  to  than  detracts 
from  the  charm  of  the  sketch. 

Before  starting  work  on  the  sketch,  the  subject  should  be  carefully 
observed.  If  it  is  a  piece  of  still  life,  study  the  form,  the  color,  the 
arrangement  of  light  and  shade,  the  surface  texture,  and  decide  how 
these  qualities  may  be  best  expressed.  When  these  decisions  are  made, 
the  work  should  be  done  with  a  certain  intensity,  for  pencil  work  to  be 
successful  must  be  rendered  at  "fever  heat";  there  must  be  no  flagging 
of  interest  while  the  sketch  is  in  progress. 

The  aim  should  be  to  work  simply  and  broadly;  to  express  much 
with  little  by  making  every  stroke  tell,  and  to  suggest  rather  than  to 
actually  draw.  Directness  is  essential  to  good  pencil  technique;  "going 
over"  the  work  should  be  avoided  as  much  as  possible,  as  the  sketch  will 
lose  its  crispness  and  the  quality  will  therefore  suffer.  Simplicity  in 
"seeing"  as  well  as  in  the  "doing"  is  essential. 


35 


The  values  used  should  be  few — most  subjects  may  be  rendered 
in  two  or  three  values.  If  the  tone  of  the  paper  be  allowed  to  stand  for 
the  lighter  values  snap  and  sparkle  will  be  lent  to  the  sketch.  Special 
care  should  be  taken  in  placing  the  darkest  touches  or  accents;  they 
should  not  be  scattered  meaninglessly,  but  should  be  carefully  placed 
where  they  are  needed  to  make  the  pencil  work  expressive. 

TREATMENT  OF  BUILDINGS 

A  quaint  old  building  and  groups  of  fishing  huts  are  the  subjects 
of  the  following  three  sketches  (Plates  XVI,  XVII  and  XVIII).  Subjects 
of  this  kind  are  especially  suited  to  pencil  rendering  and  offer  compara- 
tively few  difficulties  to  the  beginner. 

The  method  of  procedure  is  the  same  as  if  sketching  from  still-life 
or  other  subjects.  An  interesting  building  found,  the  subject  should 
be  carefully  studied  before  starting  the  sketch.  Decide  on  the  direction 
in  which  the  strokes  are  to  be  laid  for  the  various  parts  of  the  building — 
the  roof,  the  sides,  the  chimney,  etc.  Draw,  as  it  were,  a  mental  picture 
first.  This  mental  preparation  is  essential;  it  will  facilitate  the  actual 
work  on  the  sketch. 

The  building  shown  in  the  sketch  (Plate  XVI)  had  a  shingled 
roof;  the  sides  were  covered  with  clapboards  and  the  chimneys  were  of 
brick,  blackened  at  the  top  by  smoke.  These  surface  characteristics  were 
considered  in  determining  the  direction  and  character  of  the  strokes. 
A  point  of  special  interest  to  the  student  should  be  the  treatment  of 
the  sides  of  the  building.  For  the  shadow  side  the  strokes  were  laid 
closely,  with  little  of  the  paper  showing  through,  while  the  light  side  is 
represented  by  the  paper  and  a  few  touches  of  the  pencil,  merely  enough 
to  indicate  the  character  of  the  surface. 


36 


PLATE  XVI 


i 


I        ft— 


37 


<\b*\   ^Zj 


PLATE  XVII 


"1 


*r 


*-.ltm*mt\i  *»MMi'Wi  inff  -* 


r 


*«* 


•i 


i 


~ 


^ 


■< 


.Ian**-' 


y-' 


V 


38 


PLATE  XVIII 


\ 


--3. 


( 


A 


qb&m1 


ft.    /*■ 

in 


te* 


* 


\ 


-     .. 


— r- 


\ , 


39 


SKETCH  OF  CHIMNEYS 

It  was  said  that  the  character  or  appearance  of  the  surface  may 
determine  the  direction  as  well  as  the  character  of  the  strokes.  The 
appearance  of  the  surfaces  of  the  chimneys  shown  (Plate  XIX)  suggested 
the  use  of  short  strokes,  laid  to  suggest  the  effect  of  brick  construction, 
the  white  lines  of  the  paper  indicating  the  mortar  between  the  bricks. 
This  effect  may  be  obtained  by  laying  the  strokes  after  the  plan  of  brick- 
wall  construction.  This  does  not  mean,  however,  that  every  single  brick 
should  be  drawn.  If  this  were  done,  the  sketch  would  be  hopelessly 
hard  and  uninteresting.  A  suggestive  treatment  should  be  used,  drawing 
a  little  more  carefully  here  and  there  (especially  near  the  center  of 
interest)  and  pulling  together  or  omitting  the  rest.  The  aim  should  be 
to  secure  an  artistic  rendering,  rather  than  a  photographic  reproduction. 


40 


PLATE  XIX 


*-*?v 


V 


6?or^c  ' 


41 


RENDERING  OF  FOLIAGE 

In  rendering  foliage  it  is  even  more  essential  to  work  in  a  free  and 
spirited  manner,  that  the  pencil  work  may  suggest  the  qualities  peculiar 
to  foliage.  A  tree,  especially  if  seen  in  the  immediate  foreground,  is  apt 
to  appear  very  much  cut  up  by  small  lights  and  shadows,  and  to  see 
it  simply  is  a  difficult  matter.  Looking  at  the  tree  with  eyes  half  closed, 
the  arrangement  of  light  and  shadow  will  appear  very  much  simplified. 
In  this  manner  study  the  tree,  its  general  outline  against  the  sky,  or 
other  background,  the  disposition  of  the  principal  masses  of  light  and 
1  shadow,  etc.  Then  sketch  in  lightly  the  trunk  and  principal  branches 
and  indicate  with  a  few  touches  the  shape  of  the  tree.  This  done,  begin 
at  the  top  and  work  down,  laying  the  strokes  in  a  "carefully  careless" 
sort  of  manner.  For  the  large  and  denser  masses  of  foliage  near  the 
center  of  the  tree,  the  strokes  may  be  long  and  grouped  quite  closely, 
while  nearer  the  edge,  where  the  foliage  is  much  thinner  and  broken  up 
into  small  patches  by  the  sky  showing  through,  the  pencil  work  must  be 
correspondingly  light  and  open — the  strokes  shorter  and  grouped  less 
closely. 


42 


f«pr 
* 

r 
4  -  a  mW 

* 

% 

PLATE  XX 


o 


r~ 


.<* 


t< 


\ 


& 


r 


i.  . 


4 


43 


PLATE  XXI 


MM  I -J*-*!* 


»«—  »nmw    "i  — *~. 


f 


mmk 


-;*'.. 


■f> 


L 


H'CKOBY 


dtorq?  <oc 


ae  Koch 


44 


PLATE  XXII 


3    ^     :  Koch 


i Ketch  of-  dim 


45 


PLATE  XXIII 


■*  ,,...-;v--'.'..;    ;>-  ■■ 


Cocoa  —  P^o-li 


-'>-   ■ 


&T 


■ 


WV.*»8i : »;«'- : ■!&.  .  •:..»! 


Ofonje  K»ch 


46 


PLATE  XXIV 


dfpni 


47 


TREATMENT  OF  FLOWERS  AND   LEAVES 

Flowers  or  a  branch  of  leaves  are  excellent  subjects  for  a  pencil 
sketch.  In  this  case,  as  always,  the  subject  should  be  attentively  studied 
before  the  sketch  is  begun.  The  value  relation  between  flower,  leaves 
and  stem  should  be  noted.  If  the  flower  is  delicate  and  of  a  light  value, 
it  should  be  rendered  with  a  fairly  hard  pencil.  The  delicacy  of  the 
flower  may  then  be  emphasized  by  using  a  softer  pencil  for  the  leaves, 
giving  to  them  a  much  lower  value.  If  the  flowers  are  in  clusters,  as 
in  the  case  of  the  lilac,  the  geranium  or  the  elderberry  shown  in  the 
sketch,  Plate  XXV,  then  tfce  general  outline  of  the  cluster  should  be 
observed  and  the  arrangement  of  light  and  shadow  studied  with  the  eyes 
half  closed.  The  shape  of  the  cluster  may  then  be  lightly  indicated,  the 
shadow  laid  in  and  a  few  touches  added  to  suggest  the  character  of  the 
individual  blossoms. 

In  the  treatment  of  leaves  both  the  shape  of  the  leaf  and  the  mode 
of  veining  must  be  considered;  these  determine  the  direction  of  the 
pencil  strokes.  If  the  leaves  are  long  and  narrow  as  a  grass  blade,  a 
tulip  leaf,  or  the  leaf  of  the  lily  of  the  valley  (Plate  XXVI),  the  strokes 
are  laid  lengthwise;  that  is,  parallel  to  the  central  vein,  while  leaves  that 
are  proportionately  broader,  such  as  the  rose  leaf,  the  lilac  or  elderberry 
leaves,  are  rendered  more  truthfully  if  the  strokes  are  laid  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  secondary  veins;  that  is,  branching  out  from  the  central  vein 
after  the  fashion  of  a  feather.  The  veining  of  the  leaf  is  thus  suggested 
by  the  light  streaks  showing  between  the  pencil  strokes.  A  suggestive 
outline  around  the  leaf  may  be  added  to  define  its  shape. 


48 


PLATE  XXV 


49 


PLATE  XXVI 


Treatment"   of— 

slender   leaves 


(jparqe  Koc 


so 


PLATE  XXVII 


>t«-idv   <=>h  Leaves 
Black  berry 


51 


SKETCHING  FROM  LIFE 
ANIMAL 

Obviously  the  pencil  must  be  under  fair  control  before  sketches 
from  the  animal  are  attempted.  An  animal,  even  though  it  may  be  our 
pet  dog  or  cat,  has  a  way  of  changing  its  pose  frequently,  and  at  such 
times  as  it  may  see  fit.  Quite  often  it  is  necessary  to  do  most  of  the 
work  on  the  sketch  from  memory,  and  usually  a  number  of  failures 
precedes  a  successful  sketch. 

For  the  sake  of  practice,  several  sketches  may  be  made  from 
photographs  of  animals,  providing  these  are  good  and  of  fair  size.  This 
practice  should  not  be  continued  too  long,  however.  Sketches  made 
directly  from  life  are  apt  to  show  more  of  real  spirit.  Technically,  the 
problems  are  no  different;  the  problems  of  still-life,  the  direction,  the 
character  and  the  manner  of  grouping  the  strokes  being  determined  by 
the  form,  the  color  values  and  the  appearance  and  texture  of  the  surfaces. 


S2 


PLATE  XXVIII 


53 


SKETCHING  FROM  LIFE 
FIGURE 

Sketching  from  the  figure,  while  perhaps  a  little  more  difficult 
in  some  respects,  does  not,  as  far  as  technique  is  concerned,  involve  prob- 
lems different  from  those  already  considered.  Form,  color  values  and 
surface  characteristics  must  be  studied  as  in  still-life.  These  qualities  are 
expressed  by  exactly  the  same  means. 

The  treatment  of  face  and  hands  should  be  simple;  they  may  be 
effectively  rendered  with  a  sketchy  or  suggestive  outline,  and  left  white, 
save  for  a  few  touches  indicating  the  features.  For  the  hair,  the  strokes 
should  be  laid  following  the  direction  in  which  the  hair  lies.  Curly  hair 
suggests  the  use  of  curved  strokes;  long  hair,  brushed  down  smoothly, 
may  be  rendered  with  long  swinging  strokes  laid  rather  closely.  The 
rest  of  the  figure,  the  dress,  stockings,  shoes,  etc.,  should  all  be  treated 
simply  and  broadly.  The  dress  may  show  a  multitude  of  folds,  but 
only  the  most  important  of  these  should  be  indicated.  Parts  of  dress 
that  are  light  in  value  may  be  rendered  with  a  sketchy  outline  and  left 
white,  except  for  a  touch  here  and  there  to  indicate  folds  or  other  detail. 
Unless  the  pattern  in  the  dress  or  other  part  of  the  attire  is  large  and 
pronounced,  it  is  better  to  ignore  it  and  think  only  of  the  general  tone. 
Note  the  treatment  of  the  blouse  in  the  sketch  of  the  boy  reading, 
Plate  XXX,  also  the  rendering  of  the  blouse  on  the  little  gardener,  Plate 
XXXI.  The  blouse  worn  by  the  boy  reading  was  made  of  a  plain  white 
material,  but  the  little  gardener's  blouse  showed  a  fine  pattern.  When 
viewing  the  figure  with  eyes  half  closed,  the  pattern  disappeared,  and  only 
a  light  tone  was  felt,  contrasting  with  the  darker  tone  of  the  overalls. 
Therefore,  in  making  the  sketch,  the  pattern  was  ignored,  the  blouse  was 
left  white,  and  its  shape  defined  with  a  sketchy  outline.  If,  as  in  the  case 
of  the  little  boy's  blouse,  Plate  XXIX,  the  pattern  is  conspicuous,  it 
then  becomes  an  important  and  characteristic  element  and  must  be  con- 
sidered. The  stripes  in  this  sketch  were  indicated  with  single  strokes 
of  a  blunt-pointed  pencil.  If  the  garment  is  not  white,  but  of  a  darker 
value,  as  in  the  sketch,  Plate  XXXII,  for  example,  then  the  shape  is 
filled  in  with  strokes  of  the  proper  strength  to  give  the  required  value. 
Dark  touches  indicating  the  shadows  of  the  folds,  and  other  accents,  are 
generally  placed  last. 


54 


PLATE  XXIX 


5  5 


PLATE  XXX 


\ 


56 


PLATE  XXXI 


57 


PLATE  XXXII 


\ 


/ 


v 


58 


PLATE  XXXIII 


59 


CONCLUSION 

After  having  acquired,  by  dint  of  much  practice  and  hard  work, 
a  certain  proficiency  in  the  handling  of  the  pencil,  the  matter  of 
technique  should  be  made  of  secondary  importance,  for,  in  all  artistic 
expression,  technique  is  only  a  means  to  an  end;  namely,  the  thing  to 
be  expressed. 


■J».«niM.,.— ,,.,...    ir -n. I  llll»»i 


60 


y 


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